The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-06
GENERAL GRANTS HABITS.
He Was Always Obstinate When Seriou
Work Required His Attention.

GENERAL GRANTS HABITS.
He Was Always Obstinate When Serious
Work Required His Attention.
"Gath's" New York Letter.
The designing people who had expected to
use Rawlins's influence with Grant at distance
were beaten by Grants confidence and sim
plicity. He nominated Rawlns for Secretary
OF War. and in that Office he died. General
Grant thereupon put himself at the head of a
contribution for Rawlins's family, which made
them independent. Mrs. RawliIs went off to
New England and disappeared from notice.
She had been. l think, school-teacher, or
| matron or something of that kind, in one of
the Southern States following the war. At the
death OF Rawlins a public statute obtained
for him, and put up within a block or two of the
very spot where I had talked with him. His
| confidence in Grant was unbounded. and that
| long interview which published remains COM
| plete testimonial to his thorough belief in Gen.
| Grant
i When Grant was nominated for the Pres-
dency and elected, the world of wealth and fash
| ion fastened to make his acquaintance, and men
/ of vast fortune, like A. T. Stewart. and persons
| of social distinction, like Hamilton Fish. opened
| their households to him. Grant was not swear
| ing man at all, nor yet violent tempered man.
| Suppose were now to read an old forgotten
| letter of Grant to Rawlins, saying:
"My Dear General have often admonished
| you of the improperly and bad breeding of
| swearing and cursing while upon duty. You
| promised me you would not swear any more.
Yet stood before your door, the window being
| open, and counted twelve oaths you uttered If
| you continue to swear, we must part company.
| Such letter would not be extraordinarily
cruel, in view of the changed condition of those
| two men after the war, but the publication Of it
would do good.
The letter which Rawlns wrote to Grant
| should hear the same Interpretation. He did
not say to Grant that he had beer drunk. nor
ever neglected his duty At the time Raw
Inns wrote this purely confidential letter,
which is no portion Of the public archives,
| met oil md
about to land himself and his chief of staff in
position which would justify them both for hav-
ing left the opportunities of civil life and taken
| up the military business. There were men send
ing Grant baskets of champagne, and then COM
ing to his headquarters to tempt him
to have them opened. Rawlins knew
that these people were designing men,
or did not understand the nature of the man
they tempted, and he laid before Grant the
option to stop altogether the least appearance of
conviviaity or take the farewell of his friend.
AS General Rawlins did not leave the service, 1t
is perfectly just to conclude that his manly
alterna tive was by General Grant in the
spirit in which it was given; for Rawlins
remained with him to the last.
once spoke to General Hilyer about Grants
drinking habits in the army. He was slightly
inclined to scandalize, though without any in
tention of conveying bad impression. Hillyer
liked to gossip and he could not keep secret
One day pressed him particularly hard on that
subject at time when the particular journals
was connected with were doing all they could to
destroy Grants influence. He said to
me- Grant never drank anything when he had
anything to do. He was always abstinent when
| there was work in hand" After the war was
over Grant was continually surrounded by male
!, and female friends. and wherever he went,
either to public or private entertainments, there
| was wine.
Again. after Grant laid down the prestden-
tial Office it was commonly said that now he
would return to his cups. He soon made
| himself ready for his trip to other coun-
tries. He took John Russell Young with him
on that trip, and when Mr.. Young returned
, inquired mInutely about Grants indulgence
and habits Said he can that he drank while
, we were gone was bottle of BASES ale before
! going to bed for the night in order to make him
, sleep At all the entertainments his glass was
turned down. no matter where they were Other
; persons who went along had to have their wine,
but he never did"
will finish this sketch by stating that took
perhaps, the last public drink in this world with
General Grant do not speak of what he may
! have had to take as medicine while he in his
last illness. l was not very we'll acquainted
with him, but acquainted enough to be recog
nized by him when I made myself known.
went into the St James Hotel, New York ONT
a morning about half past IL o'clock. had beer
! up since before daylight. and worked in my
: Office for four or five hours and felt faint. M
person was in the bar of the hotel but myself
q and the barkeeper. While was looking in TIT
Grant appear in it, and 1t seemed to me to be s,
. odd in that mirror that l looked again lest
might be mistaken or have lost my wits. Blu
q there was no mistake about it. l heard his ia
miliar voice say. in it's quiet, easy tones, II an
;, not feeling we'll this morning and l thought
a bottle of Basss ale might make me feel better
= | turned about and said:
. General, won't you have the ale with me9s a
y the same time mentioning my name. The tw
- bottles OF ale were opened and drunk Gran
h was then leaning upon cane shaped to asss
;. his injured ankle or leg. He walked with linn
and was sober child. His countenance
however showed the effect Of illness. and
felt at the time that hei had probably passed tn,
strength and prime of his life. little CONVEX
sation happened, and we went our several ways
n The next time saw his face he was lying in hi
y coffin in the City Hall in New York. The fac
IS that he as an exPresident had the humilit!
). and drectness of character not to sneak abou
~ somewhere, but to 60 And ask q
Il public place for what he needed
h seemed to me- deterioration of his plain, fran
70 character but rather confirmation of it. W
- can realize how well the responsibility of th
Sc country was placed when a nd that his unprt
tending and sterling chief of staff had hesits
h ton in admonishing the General to perfect 81
: briefly and that his General accepted the admon
u ton with both gratitude and obedience.